Staff Reporter
Members of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) have disrupted classes at some schools in the Free State after they went around pulling students and ordering classes to stop until their demands are addressed.
Chief among their demands is a call for all learners to be tested before they can attend lessons.
Grades 7 and 12 resumed lessons on Monday since the forced closure of schools on March 17 as the country prepared to go on national lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
In a statement, the learners’ organisation said it remains opposed to the reopening of schools as it feels the authorities are not ready to handle the situation.
“It is evident that our conviction was correct and schools are turning out to be a war zone where people are expected to die at any time,” read part of the statement.
“We have noted that teachers and learners are testing positive for COVID-19 in Gauteng and the Western Cape but the Free State is not testing but only screens people who are entering the school premises.”
The COSAS statement follows a confirmed COVID-19 case of a Grade 12 learner from Grey College on Tuesday which saw 19 other learners at the school being quarantined.
On Wednesday, 15 learners from Heatherdale Secondary in Heidedal in Bloemfontein were rushed to hospital after they showed flu-like symptoms while being screened before starting school.
They have been put under the care of their parents while awaiting their results.
“We acknowledge that government has tried to reopen schools but they don’t possess the capacity to operate under these tough conditions,” COSAS said.
“Infrastructure is going to remain a problem as other grades are going to be phased in which will lead to overcrowded classrooms.
“Should the department decide to continue with teaching and learning, all learners and staff must be tested to curb the spread of the virus.
“All teachers with underlying diseases must be sent home to avoid an increase in the death toll of the country.”
The statement said COSAS Free State has taken a decision to shut down schools with immediate effect until people are tested and teachers with underlying diseases are released.
It claimed the demand had been communicated to the office of Education MEC Tate Makgoe who, in turn, requested a meeting with them.
COSAS however insists that schools will remain closed until that meeting is held.
Provincial education spokesperson Howard Ndaba told the SABC that they were against the call to boycott classes until their concerns have been addressed.
“The decision to shut down schools will be unconstitutional and illegal and therefore we frown upon any attempt to derail schooling but we really appreciate their request for a meeting with the department of education,” he said.
Ndaba cautioned COSAS that testing is only done when a person has shown symptoms for COVID-19.
“. . . the reality is you don’t test before you screen and you don’t test everyone and our health officials are telling us that the prerequisite for testing is that you start by screening,” he explained.
Apart from targeting schools in Bloemfontein, the COSAS disruptions are believed to have also spread to Botshabelo and Welkom.